Pursuing a Healthy Lifestyle One Laugh At a Time

Exercise Library

*Note: This list will be continually added to over time. Keep checking back to this post and let me know if you have any questions.

Alternating Waves (Battle Ropes) – Holding the battle rope handles in each hand and standing with feet shoulder-width apart, moving your hands in an up and down motion in opposite directions of each other to make waves in the battle rope.

Bent-Over Row – Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a weight in each hand. Bend down so that your hips are back and knees bent. Raise your elbows toward the ceiling by contracting the muscles in between your shoulder blades, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Lower, and repeat. Make sure that your back is maintaining a neutral position and not hunched over. Also, make sure your are bent forward far enough so that gravity is adding resistance as well.

Bicycles – Start by lying on the ground on your back and placing your hands behind your ears. Now lift your shoulder blades off the ground and twist your torso towards one side of your body while simultaneously bringing the knee of the leg on the side you are twisting toward in to meet your elbow. During this time, your other leg is extended slightly off the floor. Now twist your torso towards the other side while extending the leg that was bent and bending the other leg to meet your other elbow.

Boat Pose Lateral Raise – Sit on a mat, leaning back slightly so that your core is engaged. Bend your knees slightly with your legs out in front of you, with your heels either on the ground or lifted in the air. While maintaining this position, lift your arms from your sides, and back down again. Hold weights for an extra challenge.

Burpees – Start in standing position. Drop into squat, placing hands on the ground. Kick feet back, with arms extended, in a plank. Jump feet back in to squat position, and jump. Low impact: take out the jump at the end. You can also moves legs one at a time instead of simultaneously when moving in and out of plank position. Make it harder: when in plank position, add a push-up before returning to squat position.

Canoe Lunge – Stand, holding a dumbbell in both hands. Move one leg back into a reverse lunge while simultaneously “rowing” your dumbbell to the outside of your front leg. Return to starting position, and then switch sides. You may just feel like Pocahontas rowing “just around the river bend.”

Chest Press (Suspension Trainer) – Face away from the suspension trainer, holding both handles in each hand and angled towards the ground with a straight body. Lower your body toward the ground by bending at the elbows, and then return to starting position. The more parallel your body is to the ground, the harder it will be.

Glute Bridges – Start by laying on your back, with your head on the ground and arms out by your sides. Knees are bent and facing the ceiling and feet are planted on the floor. Lift your torso off the ground so that there is a straight (and diagonal) line from your knees to your head. Lower torso back to ground. You should feel this in your hamstrings and lower back especially. Make it harder: Instead of having your knees bent and feet on the ground, straighten your legs and rest them on a Swiss ball or in a TRX band. Lift your torso to make a straight line from your head to toes, and then bring your heels towards your torso by rolling your feet across the Swiss ball.

Ham Curls (Suspension Trainer) – Lay on your back with your feet in the foot handles of the suspension trainer. The feet should not be touching the ground. Raise your lower body off the ground, making a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. Maintaining this position with your core, bring your feet towards you, then back to starting position. You should feel this in your lower back and in the back of your thighs.

High Knees – Start in a standing position. Run in place, bringing each knee towards your chest as you lift each leg. Lower impact: Take out the hop by raising one knee toward your chest and lowering it to the ground before lifting the other leg.

Jump Squats – Start with feet in shoulder-width stance. Squat down, tightening your core and moving your hips backward as if you were sitting in a chair. Try not to let your knees come over your toes. Jump explosively from this position. Lower impact: take out the jump.

Jumping Jacks – Start in standing position with feet together and arms by your sides. Jump feet outward while simultaneously bringing your arms over your head. Jump again to starting position. Lower impact: Move one arm and leg on the same side outwards and back again before moving other side out. Make it harder: Perform an air jack by moving arms and legs out and in in one single jump.

Lunge (Suspension Trainer) – Face away from the suspension trainer, with one leg looped in the foot handle and the other slightly in front of you. Lower your body straight down until your front knee reaches about a 90 degree angle, not letting your knee go over your toes. Return to starting position.

Leaping Lunges – Lunge forward with one leg, making sure your knee is not over your toe. Leap into the air while switching legs so that you land in a lunge with your other leg forward. Lower impact: take out the leap and alternate lunges on each leg.

Mountain Climbers – Start in plank position. While stabilizing your core, bring one knee in toward your chest with your leg bent. Return that leg back to starting position while bringing your other knee in toward your chest.

Plank – Start out lying on you stomach on the ground. Legs are straight and directly behind you. Place your elbows under your shoulders, and lift your body up into a straight line from head to toes, with the weight of your body resting on your elbows and toes. Hold this position, making sure your butt isn’t too high in the air or that your lower back is caving in. Make it easier: Do everything the same way, but elevate the surface your elbows are resting on. Do this by resting your elbows on a bench or even against the wall. Make it harder: Instead of resting on your elbows, extend your arms and support your weight on your hands. Hands should be under shoulders. You can even alternate lifting legs, lifting arms, and lifting alternating opposite legs and arms.

Plank Jacks – Start in arm extended plank position, with shoulders over wrists, feet together, and body in one straight line. Jump both legs out from each other and away from the body’s midline, and then back together again. Make sure to keep your body in a straight line. Try not to let butt rise toward ceiling. Lower impact: Move one leg outward and then back in before moving the other leg.

Plank Leg Abductions (Suspension Trainer) – Face away from the suspension trainer and place both feet in the leg handles. Assume Plank position. Only your hands should be touching the ground. Bring both feet away from the midline of your body, and then back again.

Push-Ups – Start in a plank with arms extended. While keeping core stabilized, bend elbows as you lower your chest to the ground. Then press up from the ground through your hands as if pushing the ground away from you. Lower impact: Lower your knees to the ground and perform a push-up, keeping your body in a straight line from your head to your knees.

Prone Raises – Lay on your stomach, with your arms reaching out in front of you and feet extended behind you. Contracting the muscles in your lower back and along your spine, lift your upper body and legs toward the ceiling, and then back down again. Your may feel like a walrus, but that’s okay because at least you’ll be a very strong walrus. Hold weights for an extra challenge.

Reverse Plank – To start, sit with your legs out in front of you and hands on the ground slightly behind you. Lift your hips toward the ceiling so your body is in a straight line from your head to your toes. Only your hands and feet are making contact with the ground, and your hands are under your shoulders. This is similar to a plank, except instead of facing the ground, you are facing the ceiling. Alternate lifting each leg for an extra challenge.

Reverse Wood Chop – Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and a weight in both hands. Twist your upper body towards one foot with your arms lowering in front of you, and then twist explosively upwards towards the other side, and repeat. When you finish your reps, switch to the other side. Think of this as a standing crunch, but at a diagonal. This can be very effective, but you must focus on contracting your core during the whole movement or else you won’t feel it.

Roll-Ups – Start by laying on your back with legs straight and arms extended over your head. Tighten your abs, and then slowly curl your upper body up towards your toes, one vertebra at a time. Then, slowly reverse the movement as you lower back into starting position. You can hold weights in your hands to increase intensity.

Row (Suspension Trainer) – Facing the Suspension Trainer, grab hold of the handles. Lean back and keep your body straight and arms extended in front of you. Focusing on the muscles in between your shoulder blades, pull your elbows back and keep them close to your side. This is a back exercise, not an arm one, so it may take some practice to contract the right muscles. The more parallel your body is to the ground, the harder it will be.

Rope Slams (Battle Rope) – Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and handles in each hand. Raise both handles over your hand and throw the rope down to the ground as hard as you can (but don’t let go of the rope).

Simultaneous Waves (Battle Rope) – Standing with feet shoulder-width apart and handles in each hand, move your hands up and down at the same time to create waves in the rope.

Single Led Squats (Suspension Trainer) – Facing Suspension Trainer, grab hold of handles. Balance on one leg, with the other extended out in front of you. Bend your knee, keeping your hips back and chest up as you lower into a squat. Try not to let your knee go over your toe. Return to starting position.

Squat to Shoulder Press – Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Lower your body toward the floor by moving your hips back behind you, bending your knees, and keeping your chest up. Try not to let your knees bend over your toes, and keep your weight in your heels. After your thighs are parallel to the ground, return to starting position, press both arms as if you’re trying to punch the ceiling. Repeat.

Squat with Side Leg Lift – Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, lower your body, keeping your hips back and behind you and your chest up. As your knees bend, try not to let them bend over your toes, and keep your weight in your heels. When your thighs are parallel to the floor, return to start position, and lift one leg straight out from your side. Lower your leg, and then repeat for the other side.

Tuck Jumps – Jump straight up into the air. While in the air, bring both knees in towards your chest and lower them so you land on both feet. As soon as your feet touch the ground, jump back up for another tuck jump. You can add small hops in between tuck jumps to decrease the intensity.

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Oh why hello there! Welcome to Lifts and Giggles! My name is Kasey and I love learning about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Stick around as I share my experiences about food, exercise, and laughs along the way!